


I'll Be There Soon

by SunnySunSins



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Angst, F/M, Hopeful Ending, Hurt No Comfort, I Don't Even Know, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I think?, Mentions of Suicide, Post-Rumbling (Shingeki no Kyojin), Shingeki no Kyojin Chapter 138: A Long Dream, Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan Manga Spoilers, This chapter hurt me so i hurt others
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-09
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-15 07:48:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29930232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunnySunSins/pseuds/SunnySunSins
Summary: SPOILERS FOR CHAPTER 138!13 years after The Rumbling Battle has ended, Gabi looks back at some things that happened from then until now.Reiner has sacrificed himself to save her, everyone who survived now has a time limit and the only person she ever loved is now dying in her arms.Truly, what a cruel tale..
Relationships: Gabi Braun/Falco Grice
Comments: 13
Kudos: 43





	I'll Be There Soon

**Author's Note:**

> I came up with this idea right after the first leaks for the chapter came out. I saw what happened to Gabi, Jean and Connie and went "Oh shit." And then an idea came. An idea that became the ending for this work of pain and pain and pain. I tried to mix some fun, but it was kinda overshadowed by everything else. 
> 
> Damn, Yams, I really thought I was safe just because I only really (REALLY) cared for my kiddos. Guess not... guess not....... nobody is safe from His Lordship King of Angst.
> 
> And now I shall indulge as well. 
> 
> ~Sunny

**Once upon a time there was a World. A cruel and beautiful world.**

And in that world of hate and war lived a little girl - a child soldier, used as a weapon against other people, her own people.  
In that same cruel world lived a boy - a kind and gentle soul, who wanted nothing more than to protect the girl he loved. 

And then the world ended. 

Everything the girl knew came crushing down. Everything she lived for was destroyed. Everything she believed in turned out to be a lie. 

_Everyone she loved was taken away from her._

And she almost lost herself too. A nightmare, just for a few minutes, but it felt like eternity. And then - nothing.

The monster was slayed by it's own friends' hands. And the girl was there. No home, no family. The only ones left were the people that she thought of a monsters, the ones that turned out to be just like her, and the boy that saved her. 

Gabi sometimes told this story to children in the Queen's orphanage, and a bitter laugh escaped her time and time again at their reaction - "what a cruel tale."  
It sure was.

That girl was her. And the boy was her husband. 

She looked down at Falco's tired form, his head resting on her lap. A sad smile formed on her lips as she gently glided a hand through his hair.  
She wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him, none of them would.

With Reiner, Annie and Pieck sacrificing themselves to save her, Jean and Connie, Armin tired from his transformation and Zeke and Eren being dead, he was the only one who could get them out of that hell. As Mikasa later told them, he had to kill all the other pure titans - their friends and family - with his own hands/claws and then grab the marleans _and then_ fly back to Paradis. That explained why he passed out for 3 days after they landed.  
Honestly, she was surprised that Paradisians didn't kill them on spot. Guess having their "saviour" destroy their homes and trample their own lands changes opinions, ha?

But that was 13 years ago. 

Now they were just peacefully leaving out the rest of their lives in a small cosy house they got as soon as they were old enough to live on their own, free from wars and conflicts. 

_They were just 25._

She never thought much of it, too preoccupied with the propaganda, but now, actually living through this..... 

Reiner's memories flashed through her brain. Now she understood why he seemed so off ever since he came back to Marley. Why he always hesitated for a moment when her father asked him about her getting the Armored. Why he made Falco promise to prevent her from getting it.

Ironic, isn't it? 

Gabi sighed, shaking her head a bit. It was never easy to look through her late cousin's memories, especially knowing how much he _didn't_ want this to happen. Instead, she decided to focus on the person lying on her lap. As if feeling her turmoil, Falco's pale green eyes slowly opened, staring up at her with a question. 

"Shhh, everything's okay. I'm just thinking." - Gabi smiled again, trying her best to look happy. That seemed to work, as he once again closed his eyes, his chest rising and falling slowly. _For now._

She fought back tears at that thought. No, she promised she wouldn't cry. They all knew what was coming, they already accepted their fates and only shed tears on Armin's funeral, knowing full well - Falco will be next, and then them 3 just a few days after. 

But she also knew.  
Knew that Jean secretly counted out days until their "expiration date", sometimes striking out tasks and wishes from a list of things to do while he still can, all in a little notebook he started carrying around - the last gift he got from Armin.  
Knew that Connie spent more and more days in his old village, helping in any way he could to make it liveable again, knowing that his mother would be killed as soon as he was gone from this world.  
Knew that Falco sometimes talked to Colt in his sleep-

A broken cough startled Gabi out of her thoughts. She looked at Falco in panic, mentally preparing herself as she noticed the titan-marks slowly creeping up under his eyes. _Not long now._ He looked at her with a sad smile, settling down once again. 

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you like that." - his voice came out in a slight rasp. 

She just laced their fingers together, unable to find the words. What can you say in a situation like this? What hasn't been said in the past 13 years, in the past year even? 

"The food is getting cold by now" - she said instead, half-jokingly. That earned her a chuckle. 

The food in question was still on the counter, left there as soon as they realized what was happening. 

It was the annual dinner the remaining survivors of The Rumbling Fight decided to hold. _To celebrate and honor the lives of those who were lost_ as Armin put it. And for 12 past years they held it - decided on a place, a date, a time, who was going to host. And every year everyone showed up. Even Levi, somehow still surviving, even if he had to be pushed in a wheelchair by Mikasa. He grumbled and cursed under his breath, but never failed to make a toast to his fallen comrades, always ending his speech with a string of curses towards Zeke which had everyone stifle their laughter from how uncharacteristically petty the ex-capitan sounded.  
Everyone was there to share stories and old jokes, that sounded like nonsense without context.

Well, that was while Armin was still alive. 

The gathering after his passing was spent in a quiet remembrance, a heavy reminder of their fate on everyones minds. Then Mikasa stood up. The speech she gave still resinated in Gabi's heart, even all these years later. And with their newfound will to fight until the very last day, the survivors went on the town. Onyankopon drove them around on a new "car" engineers from Hizuru have created and gifted Paradis, nearly crashed it into Niccolo's restaurant as they rolled in, demanding the best dinner he could master. The cheers of "For Armin!" went far into the night, turning into cheers for others - friends and enemies alike, nobody was forgotten.  
Unlike the rest of the night, that - if they were to believe Levi - was spent as a drunken mess, Niccolo, some other marleans they saved from the rumbling and just passing by soldiers included. 

After that, their annual dinners came back to normal. As normal as they could with one person less at the table than usual. 12 years, 12 dinners, no matter what. 

And now it was the 13th. This time Gabi and Falco volunteered to host the gathering.  
They were in a middle of preparing food when she realized something was wrong. 

**_They misremembered the date everything went down._ **

And here they were. She - sitting on a couch, trying her hardest to keep her cool and not break down and him - with his head on her lap, trying to stay awake, to fight the Curse for a bit longer. 

Gabi glanced out the window. The others should be coming any minute now. Will they be able to make it before-

A violent cough racked Falco's body like a sick joke of an answer. She had to bite her lip to stop the tears from spilling. She tried to be strong like she promised herself to be, but can you blame her? Would you stay calm, knowing that just few seconds later your husband would die in your arms?

She didn't even realize she had lost the fight, until a gentle warm hand wiped the tear off of her cheek. She leaned into the touch, knowing this would be the last chance she'll get to feel it.  
Through the veil of tears she could see his soft green eyes looking at her like she was the most precious thing in existence, a content smile on his lips. 

"Shhh, it's okay, Gabi." - he whispered, his voice giving up. "I'll be waiting for you in Paths, we'll be together again in just a few days."

She sobbed now, tears falling down her cheeks like rain. Falco just chuckled again, his eyelids dropping. And with a final breath he managed to let out a barely audible whisper.

"I love you."

Of course their cruel world wouldn't let her say it back in time.

She did her best to calm down, knowing Falco would want her to let him off with a smile.  
Gently, she moved over, letting him lay on the couch fully. So warm, so peaceful, as though he was just sleeping. Letting herself believe that for a moment, Gabi quietly got up. 

_It's okay._

She walked towards the window. 

_Everything will be okay, don't worry._

She closed the curtains and pulled out the rifle she had there in case of emergency. 

_You don't have to wait another few days._

She loaded the rifle. Just one bullet.

"I love you, Falco."

She pulled the trigger.

"I'll be there soon."

 _ **Bang**_  


_________________________

**Author's Note:**

> *Looks around*   
> What? I warned you! 
> 
> Also, the original idea, that came to me after the chapter leaks came out, and now became this literally sounded like "So, the events of the Rumbling arc take place in max a week. So if the human 3 get titans, they will die just a few days after Falco. Oh, imagine he dies and then Gabi just pulls out a rifle like "screw waiting" and shoots herself? Damn.... I need to write it down."
> 
> And I did. 
> 
> Please comment! I would like to know how are you feeling after..... that chapter.... and my not-contribution to the pain....  
> Damn, my poor children can't catch a break...
> 
> ~Sunny


End file.
